REPORTER
COVINGTON | MAPLE VALLEY | BLACK DIAMOND
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LOCAL | Covington legislative agenda focused on roads, parks [page 3]
LOVE AT FIRST TRY | Kentwood’s Ashley Rolsma trades soccer for rugby after high FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2013 school but still focused on hoops [10]
A DIVISION OF SOUND PUBLISHING
City shifts budgeting focus for new year
High cost of jails due to number of inmates
BY KRIS HILL
BY KATHERINE SMITH
khill@covingtonreporter.com
ksmith@maplevalleyreporter.com
As Covington officials prepare the city’s budget for 2014 there is a shift in strategy for managing what is in the coffers. Derek Matheson, Covington’s city manager, in his budget message Oct. 8 to the City Council wrote in documents he provided to the Reporter that in recent years the focus during the budget process was on how to manage COVINGTON rising costs while revenue streams were flat or decreasing. “For 2014, however, the focus is on how to manage increased revenues while realizing that the recovery is still fragile,” Matheson wrote. “While the temptations is great to create new ongoing programs, that strategy will cause
Jail cost budget overruns for the city of Maple Valley this year are largely due to the volume of inmates. The city, which is in its first year of a two-year interlocal agreement with Kent for courts and jail services, saw increased costs this year which surpassed expected increases over the low costs under the previous interloMAPLE cal agreement VALLEY with Enumclaw. Under the new agreement Maple Valley pays $220 per day, or $80,300 per year for two guaranteed beds at the Kent jail, whether or not they are used. The city then pays an additional $135 per calendar day for every extra bed. “Maple Valley’s contracted beds
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Getting Fit With Mom
A group of seven moms worked out with Stroller Strides instructor Lauren Hatcher Monday at Lake Wilderness Lodge in Maple Valley. The class is offered three days a week for parents and their children in a mix of cardio and strength training. In the summer they work out at Lake Wilderness Park. KRIS HILL, The Reporter To view a slide show go to www.maplevalleyreporter.com.
Kent high school students team up to defeat hunger BY KATHERINE SMITH ksmith@covingtonreporter.com
This year the four Kent School District high schools are coming together to reach their goal of collecting 100,000 pounds of food to donate to local food banks. At Kentwood the school’s Munch Madness food drive competition has seen great success with classes competing in a March madness style bracket to see which fourth period class can bring in the most pounds. Last year the school collected 55,000
pounds, surpassing the goal of 50,000 according to senior and Associated Student Body Vice President Pamela Villaruz. “Our goal this year is 60,000 pounds for the whole school to collect,” Villaruz said. ASB President Mariah Lee said that the idea of partnering with the other Kent schools came from a desire to get the other schools involved as well without it being a competition. “We always wanted to get involved with other schools in the district,” Lee said. “This year it’s our goal to get 100,000 pounds
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together.” Laura Williams. Villaruz added that the food drive chalThe Falcons are basing the theme of their lenges students to go outside their comfort food drive off the We Day event students zone to help others. attended in Seattle in March and have titled Students at Kentwood, Villaruz said, their food drive We Scare Hunger. go door-to-door in their neighKentlake is also running a “We always wanted borhoods, and stand outside of competition between fourth peto get involved with riod classes, with classes receivgrocery stores to collect food, as well as set up collections at school other schools in the ing points based on the items district. This year events like sporting games and they bring in. High need items events like Trick or Trunk, which it’s our goal to get receive a higher point total than was hosted at the school the end 100,000 pounds.” bulk items, for example. Mariah Lee, Kentwood of October. Williams said that Kentlake The class which collects the had food drives in the past, but most food — the last weigh in is last year they started to overhaul Dec. 10 — at Kentwood will win a the event by adding a theme — catered lunch. So far the school has brought last year was based off the Hunger Games in 8,373 pounds. — and the leadership students are working This year at Kentlake the effort is ramping up, according to leadership student [ more HUNGER page 4 ]